What is an Art Director?

An art director is someone who is responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions. They create the overall design and direct others who develop artwork or layouts. About 12% of art directors work for advertising and public relations firms. Others work for newspaper and magazine publishers, specialized design services firms, and the theatre, motion picture and video industries.

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What does an Art Director do?

An art director typically oversees the work of other designers and artists who produce images for television, film, live performances, advertisements, or video games. They determine the overall style or tone desired for each project and articulate their vision to artists who submit images, such as illustrations, graphics, photographs, charts and graphs, or stage and movie sets.

An art director will work with the art and design staff in advertising agencies, public relations firms, and book, magazine, or newspaper publishers to create designs and layouts. They also work with producers and directors of theatre, television, or movie productions to oversee set designs. Their work requires them to understand the design elements of projects, inspire other creative workers, and keep projects on budget and on time. Sometimes, they are responsible for developing the budgets and timelines.

An art director will typically do the following:

Determine how best to represent a concept visually

Determine which photographs, art, or other design elements to use

Develop the overall look or style of a publication, advertising campaign, or theater, television, or film set

Supervise design staff

Review and approve designs, artwork, photography, and graphics developed by staff members

Talk to clients to develop an artistic approach and style

Coordinate activities with other artistic or creative departments

Develop detailed budgets and timelines

Present designs to clients for approval

Art directors work in a variety of industries, and the type of work they do varies somewhat with the industry. However, almost all art directors set the overall artistic style and visual image to be created for each project, and oversee a staff of designers, artists, photographers, writers, or editors who are responsible for creating the individual works that collectively make up a completed product.

The following are some specifics of what art directors do in different industries:

In publishing, art directors typically oversee the page layout of newspapers and magazines. They also choose the cover art for books and periodicals. Often, this work includes web publications.

In advertising and public relations, art directors ensure that their clients’ desired message and image is conveyed to consumers. They are responsible for the overall visual aspects of an advertising or media campaign and may coordinate the work of other artistic or design staff, such as graphic designers.

In movie production, art directors collaborate with directors to determine what sets will be needed for the film and what style or look the sets should have. They hire and supervise a staff of assistant art directors or set designers to complete designs.

What is the workplace of an Art Director like?

Most art directors work full time. About 12% work for advertising and public relations firms. Others work for newspaper and magazine publishers, specialized design services firms, and the motion picture and video industries.

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Further Reading

Almost on a daily basis, I get asked, "what is it you do?" It's not a real surprise. I've spent years trying to explain to my parents what it means to be an Art Director, and if they haven't figured it out yet, why would I expect that anyone else could figure it out.

It is the Art Director's job to realize the Production Designer's creative vision for all the sets and locations that eventually give productions their unique visual identity. They work on feature films, commercials and some types of television productions.